Maine

Hunter Biden found guilty on all counts

Published

2 years ago

June 11, 2024

A federal jury in Delaware has convicted President Biden’s son, Hunter Biden, on felony gun charges stemming from his purchase of a Colt revolver in 2018 when he was addicted to crack cocaine.

The verdict, handed down after three hours of deliberations, capped a weeklong trial in federal court in Wilmington, Del. The jury found Hunter Biden guilty on two counts of making false statements about his drug use when he bought the weapon, and one count of illegal possession of a firearm by a drug user or addict.

In a statement after the verdict, Hunter Biden said: “I am more grateful today for the love and support I experienced this last week from Melissa, my family, my friends, and my community than I am disappointed by the outcome.”

His attorney, Abbe Lowell, said his team “will continue to vigorously pursue all the legal challenges available to Hunter.”

This was the first of two cases against Hunter Biden brought by Justice Department special counsel David Weiss. The president’s son also faces tax charges in a separate prosecution scheduled to go to trial in September.

Biden has said he won’t pardon his son, and on Tuesday he said in a statement: “I will accept the outcome of this case and will continue to respect the judicial process as Hunter considers an appeal.”

The gun case was rooted in a difficult period in Hunter Biden’s life when he was reeling after the death of his brother, Beau, in 2015 and was addicted to crack cocaine and alcohol.

It centers on the Colt revolver that the president’s son bought at a gun store in Wilmington, Delaware in October 2018. It was thrown away in a trash can outside a grocery store 11 days later.

Prosecutors said that Hunter Biden lied on the federal form every gun purchaser is required to fill out when he declared that he was not using or addicted to illegal drugs.

Over the course of the trial, prosecutors set out to prove to the jury that Hunter was a drug user at the time, that he knew it and that he lied about when he bought the gun.

Prosecutors called 10 witnesses, including three women who were at one point romantically involved with Hunter Biden: his ex-wife, Kathleen Buhle; an ex-girlfriend, Zoe Kestan; and his brother Beau’s widow, Hallie Biden.

Buhle, who was subpoenaed to testify, told the jury about first discovering her then-husband’s drug use when she found a crack pipe on the porch of their home the day after their 22^nd wedding anniversary. The couple divorced in 2017.

Kestan and Hallie Biden, both of whom were granted immunity to testify, told jurors they had witnessed Hunter Biden smoke crack cocaine as well as buy it from drug dealers. Kestan also testified that she was with the president’s son in 2018 when he was cooking his own crack from powder cocaine.

Hallie Biden, meanwhile, testified about how she and Hunter Biden became romantically involved over time following the death of her husband—Hunter’s brother—in 2017. She told jurors that Hunter had introduced her to crack, and that they smoked it together—a period of her life, she said, that she was embarrassed and ashamed of.

Hunter’s own words also factored into the government’s case. Prosecutors played long excerpts from his memoir in which he describes in painful detail his spiral into addiction.

The government also presented the jury with text messages Hunter Biden sent and received between 2017 and 2019 in which he talks about using drugs, buying drugs and his addiction to crack.

That includes two text messages that he sent just days after he bought the gun. In one, he says he’s waiting for a dealer named Mookie, and in another he says he was “sleeping on a car smoking crack.”

Hunter Biden’s attorney, Abbe Lowell, has not disputed that Hunter Biden was addicted to crack cocaine and alcohol. But he has argued that his client completed a rehab program in August of 2018, and that he did not consider himself a drug user when he bought the gun on Oct. 12, 2018 or over the period that he owned it.

In his closing argument, Lowell accused prosecutors of using sleight of hand to try to hide what he said were holes in its case.

Throughout the trial, Lowell tried to focus the jury’s attention on a narrow period of time—the 11 days Hunter Biden owned the gun before Hallie Biden found it and threw it in a trash can outside a Wilmington grocery store.

Lowell repeatedly pointed out that the government has a lot of text messages from before and after October 2018 in which Hunter Biden talks about his drug use or even arranges to buy drugs—but not in October 2018.

The drug texts the government did produce dating to the period Hunter Biden owned the gun Lowell tried to diffuse as nothing more than facetious messages his client sent to Hallie Biden.

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Maine

18 jaw-dropping views from Katahdin to help you plan for warmer weather

Published

6 minutes ago

April 19, 2026

Press Room

18 jaw-dropping views from Katahdin to help you plan for warmer weather

Editor’s note: This story was originally published in September 2022.

When it comes to Maine hiking, summiting Katahdin is the ultimate achievement.

Maine’s tallest mountain stands at 5,269 feet, and there are a number of different trails hikers can take to get up and down Katahdin. And while some are harder than others, none are easy.

But the views are incredible.

Whether it’s the rugged terrain of the Knife Edge or the vast landscape of the 200,000 acres that compose Baxter State Park below, here’s a look at what it’s like to climb Katahdin.

Hunt Trail

Hunt Trail traces the edge of a ridge on the west side of Katahdin known as Hunt Spur. Credit: Aislinn Sarnacki / BDN

Katahdin Stream Falls is one of the many scenic highlights of Katahdin’s Hunt Trail. It’s located about a mile from the trailhead at Katahdin Stream Campground. Credit: Aislinn Sarnacki / BDN

Abol Trail

Chimney Pond Trail

Cathedral Trail

Saddle Trail

Northwest Basin Trail

Knife Edge

Hikers on the Knife Edge of Katahdin have few options for getting off trail to relieve themselves of human waste. Above treeline, Leave No Trace principles recommend planning ahead to avoid the necessity of going to the bathroom in fragile alpine areas, or getting off trail as far as possible to relieve themselves on rock or gravel. Credit: Courtesy of Brad Viles

Tablelands

South Peak

Hamlin Peak

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Maine

Maine Township Residents OK Purchase Of Building For Food Pantry – Journal & Topics Media Group

Published

12 hours ago

April 18, 2026

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Maine Township Residents OK Purchase Of Building For Food Pantry – Journal & Topics Media Group

Maine Township residents vote in support of purchasing building for the relocation of the township food pantry.

A proposal for Maine Township to purchase a building at 9850 Milwaukee Ave. in Glenview to move its popular and growing food pantry received strong approval at the township’s Annual Meeting held last week at the Town Hall on Ballard Road.
More than 100 residents attended the meeting where they approved buying the property for $1,429,000. The 3,000 sq. ft. building, which is located within the township, had been the home of a local restaurant. It is currently vacant.
In March, Supervisor Kim Jones explained that the food pantry needs more space for food and to accommodate clients who need food. “We’ve totally outgrown it,” said Jones at the time. “We’ve been looking for more than a year.”
Following last week’s meeting, Jones said about the vote, “That magical moment really encapsulated the strong support system that’s been built from neighbors helping neighbors throughout our community. The food pantry has grown in leaps and bounds throughout the last five years thanks to the dedicated work of its staff, volunteers and the public.”
Des Plaines City Clerk Dominik Bronakowski served as ceremonial moderator for the event.
Jones also recognized a number of employees and officials who currently serve the township. They included Assessor Susan Moylan-Krey and MaineStay Youth and Family Services Director Richard Lyon for their 20 years of service to Maine. Assistant Director of MaineStreamers, Therese Tully was recognized for her 25 years of service.
The meeting also recognized former Des Plaines Self-Help Closet and Pantry Director Debbie Walusiak who was presented the Sgt. Karen Lader Good Citizen Award for her more than 20 years of service to the Des Plaines community.
“Debbie is an exceptional community leader and volunteer,” said township Clerk Pete Gialamas whose office runs the annual award program. “Her work with the Des Plaines community, particularly her leadership navigating the Self-Help Closet and Pantry’s 2020 move to a larger location in the midst of the COVID pandemic really shows the depth and resolve of that leadership and dedication to service.”
In 2011, the clerk’s office instituted the award in honor of Lader, a resident of Des Plaines and a 15-year veteran of the Cook County Sheriff’s Police who lost her battle with cancer in 2010. She was deeply involved with the township’s Neighborhood Watch program and active in Maine’s National Night Out Against Crime event held each August. She also worked on Special Olympics and animal rescue.

If you like this story, you can get a whole lot more practically every day of the week by subscribing to journal-topics.com. Click here to choose your preference of either print or online, or call 847-299-5511.

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Maine

Spring birding events are happening across Maine. Here’s where to go.

Published

1 day ago

April 18, 2026

Press Room

Spring birding events are happening across Maine. Here’s where to go.

Now the fun begins, as many birds and quite a few birders return to Maine for the summer. It’s time to get organized.

Birding is generally a quiet, solitary pastime — a stroll in the park, a walk in the woods, a paddle in the marsh.

Penobscot Valley Audubon’s Neighborhood Bird Walks kick off May 6. There are 13 walks scheduled at birding hot spots in Greater Bangor throughout the month. These walks have been immensely popular since they began nine years ago.

The benefits are many. It’s a chance to walk with experienced local guides, finding birds you might otherwise overlook. You can start to associate specific species with their preferred habitats. It’s a great opportunity to learn and practice identification skills and gather tips from others. Many participants enjoy the social camaraderie of guided bird walks.

A Baltimore oriole perches in Maine. Spring birding events take advantage of the surge in returning species. Credit: Courtesy of Bob Duchesne

I will lead two of these morning walks and probably tag along on several others. I chuckle at how easy it is to find birds in May. I’ve done these same walks so many times over the years, I usually know where different species will be before I even arrive. It’s almost like cheating.

Penobscot Valley Audubon members have already received the walk schedule in the most recent newsletter. Nonmembers can find the schedule on the chapter website at pvc.maineudubon.org. The walks are free and open to all.

Morning bird walks are fun. But for a full weekend adventure, try a birding festival. There are four great festivals to choose from.

The Wings, Waves & Woods Festival occupies the third weekend of May. Most events occur in Stonington and Deer Isle. Highlights include a Sunday visit to the Atlantic puffin colony on Seal Island, preceded by a Saturday cruise around the islands outside Stonington Harbor. I’ll be one of the guides on both.

I must say I am particularly excited about the archipelago cruise. Last year was the first year we did it, and I was not prepared for how many winter seabirds were still loitering around the islands. The numbers and variety were astounding. This festival is ideal for seeing the overlap of Maine’s overwintering birds and newly arrived spring migrants, all on the same weekend.

A rose-breasted grosbeak perches in Maine. Migratory songbirds return in May, drawing birders to walks and festivals. Credit: Courtesy of Bob Duchesne

The Downeast Spring Birding Festival spans Memorial Day weekend. I’m awed, or maybe odd, to say I’ve been guiding for this festival ever since it began in 2003. Indeed, I led the very first walk of the first festival. That was amazing enough to convince me to keep doing it for the next 23 years.

Cobscook Institute coordinates the festival from its campus in Trescott. Events cover birding hotspots in Washington County, Campobello Island in New Brunswick and nearby offshore islands. Two different boats will visit two different puffin colonies over the weekend.

I might get an argument from the organizers of other festivals, but I personally think this one is the birdiest for two reasons. Memorial Day weekend is about the time the last returning migrants pass through Washington County, adding to the number of songbirds that have already established breeding territories for the summer. The Cobscook Bay area also has some of the most diverse habitat in the state, creating opportunities to see a wide variety of species in a relatively compact area.

The Acadia Birding Festival is the granddaddy of them all. Now in its 27th year, it’s the biggest of Maine’s festivals and attracts nationally recognized guides and speakers. It offers the advantage of birding in and around Acadia National Park.

The official dates for the festival are May 28-31, but three pre-festival trips are offered: one to Monhegan Island, one to Saddleback Mountain near Rangeley seeking the elusive Bicknell’s thrush and one to visit the puffins on Petit Manan, with a second post-festival trip to Petit Manan also available.

And now for something completely different: The Rangeley Birding Festival. The mountainous forests of western Maine host a different selection of bird species compared to the three coastal festivals. This is the realm of Canada jays, boreal chickadees, black-backed woodpeckers and that elusive Bicknell’s thrush.

By June 5-7, when this festival occurs, spring migration is over. Birds have settled into their nesting territories, where they can be predictably found. Very few organized events introduce birders to the boreal forest, so this festival has its own unique appeal.

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